


Treasure Island

by musikfurfreiheit



Series: The Pirate Universe [1]
Category: Delain (Band), Nightwish, Within Temptation (Band)
Genre: Gen, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-01 01:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5186492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikfurfreiheit/pseuds/musikfurfreiheit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merel would miss the attic, the shells that were everywhere in the room and the few pirate souvenirs she’d bought in town. She would miss it all, but she was trading it for something much better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

                                                                       

Merel bit her lip as the ice cold water hit her skin. She kept the shower as short as possible and smiled as she traded the water for a towel. The fabric of the towel was soft and felt nice on her skin, almost made her forget the ice cold shower. Her blonde hair was still dripping as she grabbed fresh clothes and put them on. The shirt was slightly too short and she discovered a new hole in her pajama pants. A soft melody filled the bathroom as the girl dried her hair, which was only interrupted as the door opened and Merel turned around.

‘No, kss, get out, you’re not allowed here.’

The grey cat looked at her for a second before she pushed him out of the bathroom. Dante outed his disapproval as he walked away and Merel returned her attention to the mirror. She’d always disliked the cat. Everything was wrong about him, from his personality to the color of his fur to his name. He didn’t deserve to be named after such an important artist.

Once her hair was more or less dry, Merel sat down on the wooden chair in the corner and grabbed her mud-covered shoes. By the smell she could tell she’d managed to avoid any animal crap today and she was very glad about that. She’d grown to like the animals on her family’s farm, but that didn’t mean she liked everything that came with working on a farm.

Jack, the rooster, had woken her up at 6 in the morning. The sun was still rising while she fed the animals, her own stomach begging to be filled. Only when all pigs, cows and chickens had their breakfast did Merel go back inside to get her own. Her aunt’s strawberry marmalade had been great and she wondered if there was some bread left, if she could maybe have some more after dinner.

Merel was happy with the result when she was done cleaning her shoes and put them on again. She cleaned the bathroom and looked around again one last time before closing the door behind her. Dante was sitting in front of the door but Merel ignored him as she made her way to her room in the attic. She lit the big candles next to the door and grabbed the small blanket from her bed. As usual her room was colder than the rest of the house, but she’d learned not to complain about it. Even under the light weight of her small body the bed lightly cracked as Merel sat down on it. The sun had already started setting, but that didn’t matter. The girl loved watching the last rays of sunshine disappear behind the horizon and into the ocean.

Merel got up again as the red color of the sky started fading. She knew her family wouldn’t wait for her for dinner, not at the table meant no food. The smell of fish already filled the house and with a smile the girl sat down next to her cousin. Naomi made a disgusted face when a plate with fish was placed in front of her but Merel could only grin. Her own plate followed a few seconds later. One single potato, vegetables that were so cooked it wasn’t recognizable anymore and a delicious piece of fish. She thanked her aunt and took a first bite of the fish. It turned out to taste even better than it looked.

‘I am so tired of this.’

Everyone looked up as Merel’s uncle closed the door of the house. He was wearing his neatest clothes, the ones he always wore when he had to go into town. Merel figured some homeless had stolen a few eggs again and returned her attention to her dinner. She honestly didn’t care about what had happened to her uncle, but she looked up again when his next words sounded.

‘Another ship with pirates arrived at the harbor. Luckily they only stay until tomorrow because pirates never buy anything!’

His wife mumbled an agreement before everyone started eating in silence. Merel’s mind however wasn’t set on the fish on her plate anymore. She thought about the fishes in the ocean, about how beautiful they are. She thought about the pirates, who get to spend their entire lives on sea watching those beautiful fishes. She thought about her father, the forbidden subject.

Years ago Merel had asked her uncle about her father. He always refused to answer, until one day. She had to promise him to never ask about her parents again before he told her about her father. He’d explained why he left her behind and he had told her about his life. His life at sea.

Merel didn’t say another word during dinner. In silence she emptied her plate and ignored Naomi giving her fish to Dante. Usually she would kick her cousin for giving away her food to the devil in a cat’s body but now she couldn’t care less. She was already thinking about the book she hid underneath her pillow and how desperately she wanted to read it again.

As soon as she emptied her plate, Merel left the table and forgot about the strawberry marmalade she’d wanted half an hour ago. She almost tripped over Dante, who was now sleeping in front of the stairs, as she climbed up to her room again. She shut out the chattering noises of her family before sitting down on her bed again. Carefully she took the book from underneath her pillow and sniffed the leather she loved so much. A smile crawled on her lips as she opened the book and saw the neat handwriting. Almost everything about the book fascinated her. The stories written in it, the story of the person who’d written it, the story of how it came into her hands, the cover, the small drawings every few pages. But secretly what fascinated her most of all was the handwriting. She’d watched it, read the words over and over again, and eventually she’d practiced. She’d practiced until the handwriting became her own and now the time was finally there. She was going to write her own story.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The moon and stars lit the attic more than Merel had ever seen. She’d never been awake at this hour to actually see it, but she still saw it as a sign, as if the moon gave her blessing. As silent as possible Merel put the leather book in a backpack and closed it. She grabbed the small blanket that was laying on her bed and looked around one last time. She would miss the attic, the shells that were everywhere in the room and the few pirate souvenirs she’d bought in town. She would miss it all, but she was trading it for something much better.

Merel was almost scared to breathe as she made her way to the kitchen. Carefully she opened a cupboard and grabbed some bread before putting a piece of paper on the table. She reread it one more time, making sure she thanked her aunt Tarja for taking care of her, but she had to go her own way. Silently she sneaked to the front door, took one last deep breath and then left the farm behind.

The night was cold, but Merel was used to it. Ever since she heard the story of her family she’d been preparing for this moment. The excitement warmed her up inside and her feet guided her towards the town. The walk took less than 10 minutes but for Merel it felt more like 10 seconds.

Her heart was beating fast and loudly. She was on an adventure, on her way to a new life, the life she was destined to live. The ocean was her best friend, her name was a secret reference to the first member of the family that had been living at sea. This was her destiny, but it was still a little bit scary.

She’d never walked through the town alone, especially not at night. People were looking at her, she wasn’t looking at anyone. She just watched her feet, the shoes she’d cleaned the evening before bringing her to the harbor. Noises were coming from the several boats, some men whistled as they saw her but Merel ignored them.  She fastened her speed as the bar she was looking for came into view. Drunk men were everywhere in the street and she was glad when she could finally push the door of the bar open. The scent of alcohol and smoke attacked her, but Merel wouldn’t let this stop her. Confidently she made her way to the bartender, avoiding the smelling drunk men around her. At first the man behind the bar didn’t seem to notice her, but then she slammed her fist on the bar and let out a shout. The man finally looked at her with a risen eyebrow.

‘I’m looking for the Captain of the pirates ship.’

‘The Flareon?’ The man asked. ‘Right over there.’

With a nod he pointed towards the far corner of the room. Two women and a man sat at a table. The women with a bottle of wine in front of them, the man with a huge glass of beer. With her chin high she walked towards them and cleared her throat.

‘Are you the Captain of the Flareon?’

‘Yes.’

Merel was surprised when both women answered instead of the man. He was just looking around with an uninterested face while the women had their eyes on her.

‘What do you want?’ The tallest woman asked.

‘I want to be part of you crew.’

Both women raised an eyebrow as they took a better look at her. Merel knew she was short and looked vulnerable, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. And a fight was exactly what she got. The tallest woman snapped her fingers in front of the man’s face to get his attention before she pointed at Merel. Without a word the man got up, grabbed two swords and handed Merel one before taking a few steps back.

There was no explanation and Merel didn’t need one. She looked the man right in the eye, went through her options and eventually chose to attack his leg. The man reacted, defended himself before attacking and looking Merel in the eye as she blocked his sword.

This wasn’t her first fight, not at all. Until 2 years ago Naomi’s brother had practiced with her, at least once a week in the barn of the cows. She’d lost her cousin when he got sick, but that didn’t mean she’d lost everything he’d taught her. Merel wasn’t strong, but she was fast. Her feet seemed to dance over the sticky wooden floor as she easily avoided the man’s attacks. His groans sounded every time he missed and it was obvious he wasn’t used to losing, especially not against a small girl. The bar had gone quiet. Everyone was watching the fight and after a few seconds some men started cheering. Merel didn’t know who’s side they were on, they probably didn’t even know that themselves, but in her head they cheered for her.

Merel had to fight a smile as she saw the frustration on the man’s face. His attacks were getting harder and less controlled and she decided it would be safer to end the fight. With a quick move she avoided another attack and swung her sword at the man’s neck, stopping right before the metal touched his skin. The man looked at her in disbelieve and lowered his sword before Merel did the same. He turned towards his Captains –Captain? She still wasn’t sure – and nodded before he sat down again. The women looked at each other for a single second before looking back at Merel.

‘Sit down.’ The dark haired woman said. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Merel…’ She looked around the café as she sat down, looking for anything that could sound as a last name. She should had thought of this. Using her own last name was no option, she needed a new one. One of the posters on the wall caught her attention, the drawing of the ship looked awful but the artist’s name seemed acceptable. ‘Bechtold. Merel Bechtold.’

‘Well, Merel, that was a quite interesting fight.’ The taller woman spoke again. ‘We could definitely use a fighter like you. Do you know who we are?’

‘Quit the act, Floor.’ The man sighed. ‘You’re not Charlotte, not everyone knows who you are.’

Merel’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the last name, but hid it as the other woman offered her hand for her to shake. The woman had a firm grip, but a soft smile.

‘My name is Sharon, welcome to the Flareon, Merel.’


	3. Chapter 3

Living on a boat was harder than Merel had expected. She wasn’t seasick, she loved how the waves rocked her to sleep every night and she enjoyed smelling the ocean whenever she wanted, but it were those men. The ship might have two female captains, the crew still consisted of only male pirates. Most of them were okay, except for their smell, but some of them sent shivers down Merel’s spine every time she saw them. They would grin at her with their rotten teeth, scare her whenever they had the chance and she was pretty sure some of them watched her as she was asleep. She’d managed to scare off one of her stalkers by demonstrating her fighting skills again, but it hadn’t worked on all of them. They were pirates after all.

Something else Merel wasn’t use to yet was the use of alcohol. She didn’t understand how these people could drink rum at every hour of the day. Even now, while she was eating her breakfast, there was a man sitting across from her with a huge glass of rum. The smell of his breath indicated he should have stopped drinking a while ago but he seemed determined to finish his drink. His glass was only emptied halfway when the man fell off his chair and the pirate next to him stole his glass. The other pirate hadn’t said a single word yet that day, but he now had his attention set on Merel.  
She didn’t know his name, the other pirates always called him T, but T definitely scared her. There was something about the way he looked at her that made Merel avoid him as much as possible. Unfortunately, right now it wasn’t possible. T shoved the rum in her direction without looking away.

‘You look tense, you should drink some more.’ His voice sounded dark and deep.

‘No, thanks, I’m good.’ Using just one finger Merel pushed the glass back but T firmly stopped her.

‘Drink it. You’ll have a lot more fun when you’re drunk.’

He lightly grinned at her, his golden tooth reflecting the morning sun. Merel felt her heart beating faster and only wanted to get out. The door was just a few steps away but T grabbed her shirt as she stood. He pulled her down again and leaned over the table, leaving only a few centimeters of air between their faces. Merel felt the eyes of the other pirates on her body, as if this was a moment all of them had been waiting for.

‘I would be careful if I was you.’ T gritted. ‘You’re just a scared little girl between big bad pirates. You’re our  _toy._ ’

T spat out the last word to make sure Merel understood him. She was scared and disgusted by the thought of having this man’s salvia on her face but still had to bite her tongue to keep herself from snapping. The pirates around them were laughing, praising T for his action, but went silent as the wooden door behind them opened.

‘Tuomas!’

Within a second T had released her shirt and sat back down on his seat. The clicking of boots sounded and Merel saw T’s courageous face disappearing with every passing second. Floor seemed to scare him even more than he scared Merel.

‘Okay, that’s it.’ Floor almost shouted. ‘The next one of you who even  _looks_  at her the wrong way, is being fed to the sharks, understood?!’

The men mumbled their answer as they stood and left the room to start their duties. The ship may have two captains but Floor was the one everyone was afraid of. She was taller than most men of the crew, her tattooed arms were impressive and she knew how to use her voice while Sharon seemed to be the technical brain of the Flareon. Once all men had left Floor sat down next to Merel. Without a second thought she grabbed the rum T had tried to force onto the blonde girl and took a big gulp before smiling at Merel.

‘He’s right, you know? You’d probably have more fun if you drank some rum every now and then, and you also need to grow some balls. You’ve proven to be a fighter, that’s why we hired you. You can’t change the fact that you’re small, but don’t be vulnerable. Defend yourself, you’re allowed to stab someone if they assault you. Sharon and I want a crew that respects each other so they also have to respect you.’

‘Thanks.’ Merel smiled, it felt good to be supported by the woman her enemies feared most.

‘Do you remember Ruud? The man you fought against in the café and almost beheaded? He’ll keep an eye on you. He was the first crewmember of the Flareon, if there’s anyone you can trust, it’s him.’

‘I’ll keep it in mind.’

Floor smiled at her once more before she got up and left again. Happy about the fact that at least three people got her back she started cleaning the room. At home she hated to do the chores in the house, but here she didn’t mind, the rocking of the boat made everything more bearable.

Once she got on the deck Merel took a deep breath and smiled as the ocean air filled her lungs. She looked at the horizon. Somewhere out there was the town and the family she left behind and she hoped they weren’t mad at her.  
She was pulled from her thoughts as a new sound reached her ears. As she turned around she spotted Ruud behind her, trying to tune a guitar. With a smile she walked over to him and sat down next to him, fascinated by the instrument.

‘So, I heard you’re going to protect me?’

‘If you promise you won’t try to kill me anymore.’ Ruud answered.

‘I never tried to kill you, I just had to show I’m a good pirate.’

‘Fair enough.’  
The silence between them that followed was filled with notes coming from the guitar. At first it were still tuning notes but then they evolved into a melody. Fascinated by Ruud’s fingers Merel watched how they played the instrument and created new sounds. Maybe it was the magic of the sea, or maybe she was falling in love with this instrument.

‘Can you teach me?’ Merel asked excitedly as the last note faded away. Ruud looked at her and seemed to consider it but eventually smiled.

‘If you show me your fighting technique again.’

‘Deal!’  
Merel watched how Ruud spat on his hand and held it out towards her. She eyed him for a second and lightly frowned as she saw his waiting look. Slowly she followed his example and spat her own hand before shaking his. She frowned again at the squeezing sound, but Ruud smiled.

‘Pirate deal.’


	4. Chapter 4

This was exactly the life Merel had been dreaming of. The sun was shining, she could smell the ocean with every breath she took and the wind was playing with her hair. Her fingertips hurt, but it was nothing compared to the wonderful feeling in her chest. She’d fallen in love with all of this. The life at sea, the instrument in her hands and her new family, she loved all of this. Ruud smiled at her as she played the melody they’d been practicing together and slightly grinned as she missed a note.

‘Stop grinning.’ Merel said as she poked the other pirate with her elbow. ‘I only missed it because my fingers hurt from playing too much.’

‘You’ll get used to it.’

Ruud took the guitar from Merel’s hands and started playing. Even after a week of practicing together she was still in awe with the speed of his fingers. She watched him play and wondered if one day she could be just as good as him.

The peace of the guitar lesson was interrupted as another pirate climbed down from the crow’s nest and ran towards Floor while shouting her name. Everyone looked up from what they were doing, but Floor already seemed to know what was going on.

‘Is it her again?’

‘It is.’ The man nodded. ‘The Black Feather will be here in about 20 minutes.’

Floor sighed, she obviously wasn’t happy with this information. With a nod she sent the man back to his spot in the crow’s nest before watching the ship that was coming their way. Her face was filled with annoyance when she turned around again and for the first time Merel also was slightly scared of her.

‘Alright guys, Code Black! Again.’

Merel had no idea of what was going on. Everyone around her quit their duties and ran inside. Before she had the chance to ask Ruud about it he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, leaving the guitar behind. He dragged her towards Floor and Sharon’s office and closed the door behind them. Without saying a word he moved some barrels in the corner of the office before grabbing her arm again and pushing her down.

‘Stay here, don’t move, don’t make a sound. Don’t ask why, Captain’s orders.’

Merel didn’t have the chance to say anything. Ruud left the office and the door sounded loud when it fell shut. From then on it was silent, except for Merel’s heart that was racing in her chest. She had heard of the Black Feather and had an idea of what might happen. She knew what should happen, but the crew seemed too calm for people that knew they were going to be plundered.

The Black Feather was the most feared ship of this decade. Merel had heard many stories about ships being sent to the bottom of the ocean by the Black Feather. The crew was strong and dangerous, the Captain knew no mercy. Why was no one panicking?

Merel carefully listened as she heard noises on the deck. She heard footsteps and voices , but couldn’t recognize any. She couldn’t understand the brief conversation but she clearly heard the footsteps coming her direction. The door of the office opened and Merel considered looking who it was but decided against it. Ruud had told her not to move, and luckily she didn’t have to.

There was some space between the barrels and the split was big enough for her to look through. She saw Sharon, Floor and Ruud walking by, a man stopped in the middle of her view. He was tall and had long brown curly hair. He didn’t say a word, but his face almost yelled  _Serious Business._

‘Do you have it?’

Merel held her breath as she heard the voice. She wasn’t surprised it was a female voice, she was very well aware of who the captain of the Black Feather was, it was the voice itself. Sharp, direct, strict, and yet so familiar. Something that sounded like a bag of money was placed on the desk and the man in her view stepped forward. There she was. Charlotte Wessels, captain of the Black Feather and the most feared pirate alive. A piercing glistered in her nose, red hair came from under her hat and fell over her shoulders. She had the same look on her face as the man that had been standing next to her,  _Serious Business._

‘100 pieces of gold, as usual.’

Merel could only see the captain for two seconds before Sharon’s voice sounded and the man took his previous spot again. The pirate nodded and the girl could hear the captain grin.

‘It’s always a pleasure to do business with you.’

The tall man turned around and left, just like everyone else in the room. The door fell shut behind them, but Merel still didn’t dare to move. What if they came back?  
For a second she feared she might be right as the door opened, but she sighed in relief as she saw it was Ruud. He came towards the barrels and moved them, pulling her up in the process.

‘What just happened?’ Merel asked as she stood, glad to be able to stretch her legs again.

‘We made a deal with her.’ Sharon said as she and Floor entered the office again. ‘She won’t attack us as long as we keep paying her every time our paths cross. Most pirates freak out the first time they see Charlotte, that’s why we hid you somewhere where we could stop you if necessary. We cannot risk Charlotte attacking us. She destroys everyone on her journey to god knows where.’

‘Well, I think I know what Charlotte is looking for…’

‘And how would you know that?’ Floor laughed, obviously not believing her.

Three pairs of eyes were set on her, there was no way back. She had to reveal the secret she’d being carrying her entire life and risk everything she had now.

‘Charlotte is my sister.’


	5. Chapter 5

The office was quiet but Merel’s heart was racing in her chest. All eyes were set on her, nobody said anything, she barely dared to breath.

‘Are you going to explain to us how you are the sister of Charlotte Wessels or do we have to guess?’

Floor was impatient, Merel knew that, but the tone of her voice still scared her a bit.

‘My last name is not Bechtold, it’s Wessels. I was two years old when my mother died.’ Merel started. ‘With my mother gone, my father had no reason to come back on land anymore and chose for a full time life at sea. Charlotte was already 7 so he took her with him, but there was no space for a toddler like me on a ship. He left me with my aunt and uncle and told them he would come back for me once I was old enough. He never did.

‘You all know that he was a descendant of the great Blackbeard. Piracy was in his blood and he called himself Blondbeard. You probably also know that he was sick before he died 6 years ago. One of the last things he did was mail his diary to my uncle. The day he got it my uncle finally told me about the life my father was living and gave me the diary. After I read it for the first time I promised myself I would join the first pirate ship that came to town as soon as I was 18, my birthday was 3 months ago.’

Once again it was silent in the office. The three pirates in front of her all seemed to repeat the story in their heads to make sure they understood everything, Merel didn’t dare to say anything else.

‘So, this was the first time in 16 years you saw your sister?’ Sharon asked. ‘How can you know what she’s looking for?’

‘The place where my father hid his treasure.’ Merel answered. ‘I know where it is, it’s in the diary. Isn’t that what any pirate would look for?’

‘I don’t trust anyone who is related or claims to be related to Charlotte.’ Floor mumbled. ‘Did you take the diary with you?’

‘Of course, it’s in my bag.’

‘I got it.’ Ruud quickly said before he left the office.

Merel almost got annoyed by the silence that kept returning to the office. Why didn’t these people say anything? Was she the only one that got uncomfortable under the silence? Or did these women have a secret way of communicating? Merel noticed how they looked at each other, as if they didn’t need words to understand the other. For the first time she wondered what kind of relationship there was between them. Were they sisters? Best friends that grew up together or were they just pirates that were brought together by fate?

Just when Merel got okay by the silence it got interrupted again. Ruud entered the office again, holding her father’s diary in his hand. He placed it on the desk and Merel almost wanted to snap at him for getting the leather dirty.

‘Is that it?’

‘The location is on page 87.’ Merel said as she nodded.

Sharon grabbed the diary and started looking for the page while Floor looked over her shoulder. Merel had to bite her tongue as she saw how they handled the book and she wanted to tell them to be careful. Didn’t they understand it was the only thing she had of her father?

‘Seems legit, Blondbeard was often seen in that area.’

‘Let’s go there and claim the treasure, we’ll have enough money to pay Charlotte for the next years.’ Floor proposed, but Sharon didn’t agree.

‘If Charlotte discovers you stole that treasure she’ll kill you and we don’t want that.’

‘So what? We just give her the location?’ Sharon also didn’t agree with Merel.

‘No. Charlotte will be too powerful then. This is important information that we have. We have to be careful and come with a good plan.’

‘Hold on, there’s still one thing I want to know.’ Floor suddenly said. ‘Why would you help us and not your sister?’

‘I simply do not agree with her view.’ Merel answered. ‘I’ve seen the way you work. You steal, but you have mercy. You don’t sink ships just for fun. Besides that, you already pointed out I haven’t seen her in 16 years.’

Floor looked at Sharon for a second before looking back at Merel again. For a few seconds she just watched the girl but then she seemed to have made her decision.

‘If you do one thing that’s even slightly suspicious, I will personally give you to Charlotte’s crew and tell them you’re their new toy.’

Merel saw Sharon lightly slapping her colleague and giving her a disapproving look. They had another second of wordless communication before Sharon looked at her and smiled.

‘You can go now.’

With a nod Merel thanked Sharon and left the office, followed by Ruud. She was glad when she could finally breathe in some fresh sea air again and took a deep breath. Ruud did the same next to her before her spoke.

‘Don’t mind Floor, she hates being betrayed.’

‘I know, she wants a crew that respects each other.’ Merel said. ‘What’s the deal with her and Sharon by the way? What kind of relationship do they have?’

‘No one knows.’ Ruud sighed. ‘Some men think they might have a sexual relationship since we never see any other men around them, I think it might be a more romantic something. How else would they make it work to run a crew together? But as I said, I don’t know. I don’t know what happens in their cabin.’

‘Oh, okay.’

Merel looked back at the sea where she could still see the silhouette of the Black Feather. She hoped Sharon would come up with a good plan. She was already looking forward to the next meeting with the captain and couldn’t wait to see Charlotte’s face once she stood in front of her sister.


	6. Chapter 6

The hunted became the hunter.

The wind was playing with Merel’s hair and she had her eyes set on the ship in front of her. The Flareon was sailing towards the Black Feather, for once not the other way around. They had a message for Charlotte and Merel couldn’t wait to deliver it personally. Sharon had proven she indeed was the technical brain of the ship and she came up with a plan that would benefit everyone. It had taken a bit longer to convince Floor than it took to convince Merel, but in the end everyone agreed. Now only Charlotte was left to convince.

Merel’s body was filled with excitement, with every second that passed they came closer to the Black Feather. This time she was standing on the deck, right between the Flareon’s two captains. She felt awfully small next to Floor but she didn’t care. All she could think about was seeing her sister again.

Charlotte was already standing on the deck, even her silhouette showed her power. As they came closer Merel could see the frown on the captain’s face. She obviously wasn’t happy with her visitors, but she still smiled when the two ships finally lay still.

‘What’s the deal? Do you have gold that you really want to get rid of?’

‘We want to make another deal with you.’ Sharon said calmly. ‘Can we come onto your ship?’

‘What kind of deal? A new toy for my men?’ Charlotte grinned as she looked at Merel.

She wouldn’t keep laughing. Merel didn’t know how Charlotte would react to the news but she decided to not wait any longer and took a step forward.

‘Don’t you recognize me, Lotty?’

The nickname felt weird but so familiar at the same name. It had been years since she last said it. Charlotte’s face changed. First the smile disappeared, the frown came back for a few seconds and then the realization sunk in. She opened her mouth, but took a few seconds before she managed to say anything.

‘Merel?’

‘Long time not seen, big sister.’ Merel smiled.  
She had to conclude that Charlotte’s face was funny. It was funny to see the most feared pirate not knowing what to do. People always said that the captain of the Black Feather had no emotions, that they died together with her father, but now she was obviously feeling something. For almost an entire minute it stayed quiet, the silence only being filled by the waves crashing into the ships.

‘I only want to talk to her.’

‘No way.’ Sharon immediately said. ‘Ruud is coming with her.’

‘Fine, but his guitar stays on your ship.’

Sharon nodded and Merel waited for Ruud to go aboard the Black Feather. Merel enjoyed to see how uncomfortable her sister was. She herself had heard a lot about Charlotte, but the redhead probably hadn’t heard anything about her.

They followed Charlotte into her office and Merel heard Ruud gasp next to her. The office was a lot bigger than the captain’s office of the Flareon. Gold was everywhere, swords decorated the walls and on one wall was a huge painting of her father.

‘Sit down.’ Charlotte said as she sat down behind the desk, one of her pirates stayed at the door. ‘How have you been?’

‘Fine. I lived with aunt Tarja until a month ago.’

‘He really planned on coming back for you.’

‘I know.’ Merel said before she took her father’s diary from underneath her shirt and placed it on the desk. ‘He wrote it in here.’

‘You have father’s diary?’ Charlotte was surprised and reached over the table to grab the book, but Charlotte lay her hand on top of it.

‘As Sharon said, we want to make a deal. You and I both know that father wrote down the location of his treasure in this book.’

‘What do you want?’

‘We want to split it. You follow us to the location, we split the treasure and after that you leave the Flareon alone.’

‘What about…’ Charlotte said as she leaned over the desk. ‘You join my crew and we don’t share the treasure with the Flareon.’

‘No.’

‘Come on, Merel. Father would be so proud of us. His daughters following in his footsteps, concurring the oceans and being feared by every pirate. You don’t need them, we can be so good together.’

‘I said No.’ Merel repeated. ‘I don’t want to be feared. I’m perfectly fine on the Flareon. I know where father’s treasure is and I want to share it with you if you leave us alone after that. Take it or leave it.’

Charlotte looked at her and Merel could almost hear her think. She could feel the eyes of the pirate at the door on her back, but she fought the urge to turn around. She was here to convince her sister and no one would distract her. Not even the scary big men from Charlotte’s crew.

‘Alright.’ Charlotte eventually said. ‘Let’s do it. You’re my little sister, I don’t want to fight with you. I’ll give you what you want.’

Merel smiled and spit in her hand before offering it to Charlotte. The captain seemed to be impressed but quickly followed her example. A squishy noise sounded as they shook hands and both of them stood. Ruud followed and spit his hand before offering it to the captain, but wiped it clean at his pants when she ignored him. They followed Charlotte towards the door of the office. The pirate of Charlotte’s crew left first, Ruud followed him but Charlotte stopped her sister.

‘Merel…’

Merel turned around and looked at her sister. The captain didn’t say anything, she just stared at the younger girl in front of her, looking for the right words until the pirate turned around and left. With her head high Merel returned to the Flareon and smiled as she saw her captains.

‘We’re going to get a treasure.’


	7. Chapter 7

This was by far the least pleasant moment since Merel started her life at sea.

At her right, behind the closed door of the captain’s office, were three people going through her father’s diary. On her left side stood 3 men with her eyes set on her. She didn’t know what made her more uncomfortable.

It was not just a book, it was her father’s book. It was the only thing she had of her father. The book was her most precious possession and she did not like it at all that Sharon had asked her to leave. They were going through all the details of the pages with the location of the treasure. Martijn, the Flareon’s locator, was with them so they were sure they were going the right direction. She knew no one had any bad intentions, or at least she assumed she could trust her sister, but she just wanted to put the diary away again in a safe place. A safe place far away from the men that kept staring at her.

Their way of staring was different than the pirates on the Flareon. They had been grinning at her and she could almost see their fantasies, these men seemed emotionless. The tall man that had been with Charlotte the first time she saw her was one of the three pirates watching her. That was all they did, watching, looking at her, but it still sent a shiver down Merel’s spine.

She didn’t trust them, none of the men of the Black Feather.  Not the man with the greasy blond hair, not the tall man with the missing tooth and not the short one with the smile that was coming her way. The others might lack emotions, this one was too happy. The second he came too close Merel drew her sword and pointed it at the man’s neck. A huge mistake.

Just a few seconds later her sword fell on the floor while Merel was pushed against the railing. Two men held their arms in a grip so tight Merel could already imagine the shape of the bruises, the pirate with the greasy hair had his hand around her neck. His breath was awful, but the smell of his sweat was even worse. Where was Ruud when she needed him?

On his way, that was the answer. The man that held her left arm was pulled away within a minute and punched in the face by Ruud. His already ugly nose was now covered with blood and Merel grinned, even though someone still had his hand around her neck.

‘Hey!’ Everyone looked up as the door of the captain’s office opened and Charlotte stormed out. ‘Timo, let go! What’s going on?’

‘She attacked Ruben.’ Greasy Hair answered as he let go of Merel’s neck. ‘And that one punched Martijn because god knows why.’

Great, two pirates with the same name. One that Merel liked and trusted, one that gave her the creeps and a bruised arm. Amazing.

‘I am getting so tired of you guys. Get back to our ship.’

Without another word the men walked away after giving Merel one last disgusted look. She didn’t care. The young pirate just looked at the redhead and for the first time she remembered what it was like to have a big sister.

The rest of the day went by without any other incidents. The crew of the Black Feather stayed on their ship, Merel stayed in her hammock. Sharon had given her the diary back and she’d reread it once more, as if she didn’t know every word by heart yet. She still laughed with the part where her father complained about Charlotte being a typical teenager . The image of her sister using coal as make-up had been in her head since she first read the story, almost as if it was a real memory.

It didn’t surprise Merel she was unable to sleep after putting the diary away again. The stories prickled her mind, made her fantasize about living a life at sea. Even now she was actually living the pirate’s life, she wondered how it would have been to sail with her father and sister. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway Merel sneaked out of her hammock and towards the deck. The sea was peaceful and an almost full moon decorated the sky, but that was not what caught her attention.

She immediately recognized the silhouette of her sister. She leaned on the railing as she looked at the sky, her face lit by the moonlight. Silently Merel walked over to her and stood next to her. For a second she thought Charlotte hadn’t noticed her but then her voice sounded, sweet and soft.

‘We used to do this a lot as kids, looking at the stars. Do you remember that?’

‘No.’ Merel honestly answered. ‘I barely remember anything about you.’

Charlotte nodded as she bit her lip. Merel could see the disappointment on her face and deep inside she felt guilty. They spent two years together, and they were all gone.

‘Do you know that constellation?’ Charlotte asked as she pointed at the sky.

‘Of course I do, Ursa Minor, it’s my favorite.’

‘I know.’ Charlotte smiled. ‘It has always been your favorite. Father called you Little Bear and I was the Great Bear. I think he regretted naming you after a bird.’

‘A bird? I thought I was named after one of our ancestors, even though I also never understood that.’

‘Really? Did no one ever explain it to you?’ The captain asked. ‘Our mother was Dutch, your name is Dutch for blackbird. Blackbird, Blackbeard…  You might be short but your name is great.’

‘I… I never knew that.’

‘You should be proud of your name. I was just named after the town where our parents met.’

Both women laughed and looked at each other as the sound slowly faded. It almost felt as if the last 16 years hadn’t happened, as if they grew up together and had always been best friends.

‘Thank you for rescuing me earlier today.’

‘Hey, no one touches my little sister.’ Charlotte smiled as she carefully placed her arm around Merel’s shoulders. ‘Not even my own men.’

Merel just smiled and felt a warm feeling spread through her body. For years she had been dreaming about being reunited with her sister. Now it was finally happening and it was even better that she had dared to hope for.


	8. Chapter 8

The clouds always made Merel wonder if there was another world than this one. Maybe the life after death? Maybe an entire world that hadn’t been discovered yet? How else could it be explained that some clouds looked like dogs and some looked like unicorns? The cloud right above her looked like a mermaid, or maybe she just recognized the shape because of a discussion earlier that day.

Emppu had been shouting louder than ever while coming down from his spot in the crow’s nest. He swore there was a mermaid next to the boat and everyone ran towards the railing to see the creature. They had all been very disappointed when the mermaid turned out to be Otto, one of the men of the Black Feather. The three captains had agreed on mixing their crews to guarantee the boats staying together and Charlotte and Floor had even ended up switching boats. Apparently Otto had been working on Floor’s nerves and being sick of his behavior she’d pushed him overboard.  The other pirates had been teasing Emppu with stories about mermaids all day, and for a second Merel considered calling him over to look at the cloud.

The view of the clouds was blocked when another pirate leaned over her. She smiled as she saw his risen eyebrow, but just stayed where she was. She wasn’t doing anything wrong so why should she stop?

‘What are you doing?’

‘Relaxing.’ Merel smiled. ‘You can join me if you want.’

‘I don’t think so. We’re getting ready to plunder a ship and if you keep relaxing here you’ll probably die.’

The smile on Merel’s face disappeared as she sat up. How could she have missed the order to get ready? Within a second she stood and helped the others preparing the canons. Being small and not that strong she wasn’t much of a help, but _someone_ had to held the pirates’ swords as they did the heavy work. The canons probably wouldn’t be used. Sharon and Floor liked making the same deal they had with Charlotte and let their victims choose between paying or having five crew members kidnapped. Usually they just payed, but in the few occasions they had kidnapped people Floor had sold them as slaves in the next city they visited. Except Jeroen, the cook, he had begged them to let him stay on the ship and Sharon still called that one of their best decisions.

The attack happened almost exactly like Merel had excepted. One of the men of the Black Feather had jumped onto the other ship, but came back as soon he saw the look on Floor’s face. Charlotte had wanted to defend her man, they were pirates and they plundered, but was also stopped by Floor’s expression.

The three captains entered the other ship, accompanied by 2 pirates who weren’t allowed to attack unless they were told to. The other ship payed, the pirates carried the gold and food as the captains returned to the ship and the journey towards the treasure was continued.

The sun had already started to set when the treasure’s location came into view. The cave was known as the Death Man’s Cave. Every pirate knew the story of the entire crew that got eaten in the cave by bears that lived there. Only one man had escaped and told everyone about the big black evil creatures that he’d seen. His story had convinced many pirates to go to the cave and kill the bears, but none of them had returned from their journey.

The captains of the Flareon and the Black Feather didn’t believe stories, they only believed what they saw with their own eyes. They did not believe in sirens or mermaids, and they didn’t believe in man eating black bears living in this cave. Without a second thought all three of them stepped in one of the sloops with the volunteering pirates, Merel of course being one of them. The thought of being killed inside the cave still spooked through her mind, but she didn’t let that stop her. She had never been this close to her father’s treasure, she could almost feel the cold metal of the gold already.

Carefully one of the Flareon’s pirates guided the sloop between the rocks in the water. Merel often didn’t see but only felt the rocks if the sloop bumped one and she only now started to realize how dangerous the area was.

Goosebumps grew on Merel’s arms as they got closer to the opening of the cave. She could feel the air getting colder, hear the wind howl between the rocks. She noticed how her heart started beating faster but was determined not to show it. Fear might be filling her on the inside, on the outside she was a fearless pirate.

It was dark inside the cave. The few pirates that were holding torches were now the most important people in the sloops and Merel crawled a little bit closer to the one in hers. The only things audible were the sounds of the waves crashing into the rocks and the breathings of the pirates. No one dared to speak, as if they were afraid to wake the bears that may or may not live in the cave.

Chattering sounded in one of the sloops in front and Merel tried to see what was going on. The sloop seemed to have reached a place to go on land and that was exactly what they were doing. They waited for everyone to join them before starting the search for the treasure. The diary hadn’t given any details about the exact location within the cave but luckily that wasn’t necessary.

The treasure was hidden not far into the cave. The chest was covered by dust and several smaller rocks, just like the jewels that were laying all around it. Merel had never seen anything like this. Growing up on a farm she hadn’t had that much luxe and the treasure was bigger than she could have imagined. A few pirates immediately ran towards it and Ruud wanted to try on the crown that was laying on the chest, but they were stopped by Sharon’s voice.

‘Alright everyone, put that down!’

Everyone stared at her. It was the first time they heard Sharon speaking this loud, what if she just woke the bears that still possibly existed? The staring lasted for a few second, then the pirates did as them was told. They put down the jewelry and took a step back, Ruud disappointed he didn’t get to wear the crown.

‘We found the treasure, good job. Now let’s go back to the boats and come back here tomorrow when we have light and more sloops to divide everything. Don’t worry, the treasure won’t go anywhere.’

Everyone agreed and after mentally saying goodbye to the gold they followed their captains back to the sloops. They returned to the ships, already dreaming about the treasure and most of them not realizing how wrong Sharon had been.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning was announced by the loudest and most hateful series of curses Merel had ever heard. She almost fell out of her hammock and was immediately wide awake, just like all the other pirates around her. None of them knew what was going on but it was obvious it was time to start working. Some pirates were more awake than others when they arrived at the deck and found their captain angrier than ever. There was no reason to ask why, everyone immediately noticed what was wrong. The Black Feather was gone, and with it probably also Blondbeard’s treasure.

The only other boat in sight was the sloop returning from the cave. The pirates in it all looked disappointed and Floor kicked over the bench on the deck, starting yet another rant.

‘This is it, I’ve had enough of this!’ Floor yelled, her voice scaring every single pirate on the ship. ‘I’ve had enough of this piece of trash! We’re no longer good pirates, the game is over! We will find her and I will kill her personally! You! Find out where she’s heading to!’

Martijn only dared to nod and almost ran into the captains’ office, but was stopped by Sharon. She blocked his way with her sword and simply shook her head before walking towards her fellow captain.

‘Floor, we need to talk. In the office, now.’ Her voice sounded calm but determined as she turned around towards the crew. ‘Get the ship ready, we’re leaving.’

‘Where to?’

‘Follow Charlotte’s trace.’ Sharon eventually said after thinking about it for a few seconds. ‘She’s probably heading East.’

She grabbed Floor’s arm and dragged her towards the office. The door was slammed shut. For a second the entire crew just stared at the door, then they did as they were told. The sloop was brought onto board again, the anchor lifted and the sails were hoisted. Every pirate took its spot as the ship left the area of the cave and Merel looked back one last time.

She felt personally betrayed. Her sister had lied to her, broke the pirate deal and left her behind once again. Charlotte had everything. She had real memories of their family, she had their father’s boat and now she also had their father’s treasure. Merel knew pirates had to be though and block their emotions, but this hurt more than any pain she had ever felt. Apparently it wasn’t okay for anyone to touch Merel, but Charlotte herself was allowed to hurt her little sister as much as she wanted.

No matter how much the betrayal hurt, Merel did not shed a single tear for it. She made herself useful wherever she could and put all her anger in practicing the guitar once her help wasn’t needed anymore. She played every melody that came to her and didn’t stop when her fingers started hurting. She didn’t stop when the captains finally left their office, not when Emppu yelled he saw another ship and not even when he confirmed it was the Black Feather. She didn’t care about the boat anymore, and even less about its captain, but that didn’t matter.

Ruud took the guitar from her hands and told her to get ready. He knew she didn’t want to have anything to do with the other ship anymore, but they still had to serve their captains. She had no choice, she had to face her sister again. With a sigh she grabbed her sword and took her spot behind Sharon and Floor, ready to protect them if needed. The only good thing about this situation was that Floor’s anger might still lead to Charlotte’s death.

The two ships sailed next to each other but the redhead was nowhere to be seen. All men were present on the deck, but there was no sign of Charlotte. Floor stepped forward and just by her way of walking Merel could see how frustrated her captain was.

‘We want to speak to your captain.’ Floor yelled louder than necessary.

The men of the Black Feather laughed. Eventually the man Merel remembered as Otto stepped forward with the biggest smile on his face.

‘I’m the captain. Is something wrong?’

‘Where’s Charlotte?’

‘She doesn’t matter, I am the captain now.’

‘Where is Charlotte?’ Sharon asked, repeating Floor’s question as she stood next to her fellow captain. Merel felt something wasn’t right, and apparently she wasn’t the only one.

‘Not here.’ Otto sighed. ‘She wouldn’t let us steal the treasure so we knocked her out and left her at the cave. By now they can probably call it the Death Woman’s Cave.’

The pirates of the Black Feather laughed but Merel felt like the blood in her body was replaced with ice water. Her heart missed a beat and her breath got stuck in her throat as realization sunk in.

‘We have to go back!’ Merel yelled. ‘We have to go back! She might still be alive! Maybe we can safe her!’

Floor and Sharon turned around. Floor almost seemed mad at her for even thinking that, but Merel went on before the captain could speak.

‘She is my sister and she didn’t do anything wrong, not this time. We have to go back, please.’

The men of the Black Feather slowly went back to their duties and the ship sailed away. The captains of the Flareon looked at each other in silence. Everyone knew Floor’s answer but Sharon surprised everyone with hers.

‘We’re going back.’

‘Sharon!’ Floor shouted.

‘What did we just talk about, Floor? We’re not like Charlotte. We are humans and we don’t kill other humans. If we can save the life of another pirate, we’re doing it. We are sailing back to the cave.’

Merel was too nervous to do anything on the ship as they returned to the Death Man’s cave and it didn’t seem to bother anyone. No one asked her for help, no one asked her if she was okay, they all knew the answer. Merel was not okay. She felt guilty for thinking Charlotte had abandoned her while she was actually fighting for her life. She had wanted Floor to kill her sister, what if she really was death? The guilt was eating her alive, even though the only thing she had done was think.

By the time the ship reached the cave again tears had escaped Merel’s eyes before the wind had taken them. She wanted to see her sister, she needed to see Charlotte was alive so she could apologize for her thoughts. Merel was the first one to claim a spot in one of the sloops and no said a word about it, they all knew it would be like this. Sharon sat down next to Merel and lightly smiled at her, the other pirates joined them in silence. Once again the sloop was carefully guided towards the cave before darkness fell over them once they were inside.

The flames of the torches threw big moving shadows on the walls but Merel only had eye for the place where they could go on land. She jumped out of the sloop before they had reached it and sank into the water to her knees, but she didn’t care. She ran towards the natural corridor in the cave and cursed when she had to wait for the others. It was too dark to go on without a torch.

They followed the corridor and passed the spot where the treasure had been, it looked as if nothing had ever been there. Carefully and in complete silence they went deeper into the cave. With every step the air got colder and Merel lost the hope of finding her sister. They walked on for minutes before Sharon turned around to her.

‘Merel, I don’t think it’s safe to go in any deeper. I’m sorry.’

Merel couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it. She had already lost her father’s treasure in this cave, she didn’t want to also lose her sister. Sharon was right, it wasn’t safe to go on, but she wasn’t just going to give up. Her voice sounded loud and desperate when she yelled Charlotte’s name, but then her heart skipped a beat.

‘I’m here!’  
The answer sounded like an echo, but that was all Merel needed. Without another word she ran in the direction of her sister’s voice, quickly followed by the other pirates. It wasn’t long before she found Charlotte, tied to a rock and half of her face covered with blood. Merel immediately kneeled next to her and threw her arms around her sister, who sighed in relief.

‘You came back.’

‘Of course.’ Merel smiled as she saw how other pirates started untying the rope.

Once Charlotte was freed two pirates helped her up and supported her as they made their way back towards the ship. Merel couldn’t do anything but walk behind them and keep an eye on her sister, reminding herself that she was still alive. On the boat it became clear the wound on Charlotte’s head wasn’t that bad and that she would be okay if she took some rest, something Sharon was willing to give her. She was allowed to stay on the Flareon but there was no room for a third captain. Charlotte didn’t mind, she owed her life to these people and was more than happy they also offered her a spot in the crew.

Merel immediately gave her hammock to Charlotte and she smiled as she finally lay down in it. Merel was a lot shorter than her sister, but they still found a way to make it work.

‘Hey,’ Charlotte said as Merel sat down next to her. ‘did I ever tell you how much father’s opinion meant to me?’

‘No, you did not.’ Merel smiled.

‘His approval was the one thing I always worked for, and he would very much approve of this. One daughter saving the other, he would be very proud of you. I’m sorry we lost his treasure, I know how much it meant to you.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Merel asked as she took Charlotte’s hand. ‘This right here, this is father’s biggest treasure. I finally have my sister back.’

 

_-The End-_


End file.
